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Captain Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko. Photo sourced from

10 Oldest Kings in History

There are fewer than 45 monarchies in the world today. Before that, every territory was either ruled by a King, an Emperor or a Queen. While they are here today, most of the monarchs are just ceremonial with no real power.

Few countries are ruled by kings who have full authority. Most of the countries today were once part of a larger kingdom or smaller ones with rulers.

As they say, heavy is the head that wears the crown. The kings listed on our top 10 list have done that for decades. Some of them took the throne as infants and ruled into their sunset years.

While there is none living today, their impact is still felt. Find out more about them below.

1. Louis XIV, France – Reigned for 72 Years

Louis XIV of France. Photo by Hyacinthe Rigaud –

Louis was the son of France’s Louis XIII and Anne of Austria. He was born in September 1638.

At the age of 4, Louis XIV took the throne in May 1643. He actively became king in 1661 after the death of his chief regent, Cardinal Mazarin.

Known as the Sun King, he was trained in ballet. During his reign, he turned Versailles from a hunting lodge into a palace, supported the arts and created a centralised government.

This king is famously known for the construction of the Canal du Midi, the creation of the Palace and Gardens of Versailles, the sponsorship and patronage of such artists and composers as Jean-Baptiste de Lully, Molière, and Hyacinthe Rigaud. Furthermore, he is credited with the founding of the French Academy of Sciences.

His reign was not short of wars. During the Fronde Civil War, King Louis XIV fled Paris. He died in September 1715 and was succeeded by his great-grandson, Louis XV.

2. King Sobhuza II, Swaziland – Reigned for 82 Years

Sobhuza II – King of Swaziland. Photo by The National Archives UK –

In December 1899, the king of Swaziland, now known as Eswatini, Ngwane V died at the age of 23. He had a 4-months-old son who succeeded him His name was Sobhuza II.

King Sobhuza II ruled for 82 years. While he was one of the oldest and longest-reigning African monarchs, most of his history is erased. This happened when his territory was declared a British Protectorate.

After the British took over through colonization, they lowered Sobhuza II’s position to a mere paramount chief.  This meant that he had lost his power as king and reported to the British.

Interestingly, his people remained loyal to him and regarded him as king or Nkosi.

Sobhuza II led Swaziland through independence until he died in 1982. He was succeeded by Mswati III, his young son with Inkhosikati Ntfombi Tfwala, who was crowned in 1986.

3. Johann II, Prince of Liechtenstein – Reigned for 70 Years

Johannes II van Liechtenstein door Weens. Photo by John Quincy Adams –

Johann II was born in 1840 and ruled from 1858 until he died in 1929. The Prince of Liechtenstein was a patron of the arts and science.

One of his attributes was that he was not the most social king. He intentionally avoided social events and never married nor had children.

Prince Johann II of Liechtenstein was known to be strict and adhered to medieval traditions. He managed to foster relations with Switzerland, particularly after World War I. He was neutral during WWI leading to the breaking of his alliance with Austria-Hungary.

 The prince died in February 1929 at Schloss Felsberg, Czechoslovakia, one of his many castles scattered throughout Central Europe.

4. Constantine VIII, Roman Empire – Reigned for 66 Years

His exact year of birth is unknown but it is believed to be between 960 AD and 961 AD. Since he was still a toddler, Constantine VIII became a co-emperor when he was one year old.

It was a common practice common among Byzantine Empire rulers because it helped hold up the line of succession. His older brother, Basil, has also served as a regent emperor.

After the death of their father around 963 AD, Basil and Constantine became rulers in name only. This continued until 976 AD when the chief minister, John Tzimiskes died.

Although several historians considered Constantine VIII the emperor, others considered his brother Basil. Basil was described as being alert, intelligent, and thoughtful. On the other hand, Constantine was said to be apathetic, lazy, and devoted to a life of luxury.

Basil died in 1025 and Constantine ruled for three years as senior emperor in his own right.

5. Count Higashifushimi Kunihide, Japan – Lived till 103 years

Born Prince Kuni Kunihide, Count Higashifushimi Kunihide was the nominal head of the Higashifushimi-no-Miya. Today, it is known as the Imperial House of Japan.

He was the youngest child of Lieutenant Colonel Prince Kuniyoshi Kuni and Shimazu Chikako. After becoming Count Kunihide, he issued “Hounsho” (Minyusha) in 1931, which is a book about Buddhist art.

Kunihide later gave up his imperial status to become a Buddhist monk. As a monk, he still retained his royal stylings.

In his essay collection, “Hounsho”, he posted narrated his trip to Nara on a spring holiday in April 1924 to Gakushuin Hojinkai Magazine with the title of ‘From Nara.’

Additionally, he was a talented piano player. He played Haydn’s concerto on the piano in the New Symphony Orchestra conducted by Hidemaro KONOE in 1932 for a recording. It was the first recording of the Haydn concerto in the world.

6. Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni

Captain Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko. Photo sourced from

General Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni was a Japanese Imperial Prince, a career officer in the Imperial Japanese Army.

The prince was married to the ninth daughter of Emperor Meiji, Princess Toshiko. Prince Higashikuni was the only member of the Japanese imperial family ever to head a cabinet. Additionally, he was the last general officer of the Imperial Japanese military to also become Prime Minister.

This prince was a champion of engineering. He founded the Chiba Institute of Technology. Prince Higashikuni died in Tokyo in 1990 aged 102 years. He outlived his wife, two of his four sons, all of his siblings, and his nephew, Emperor Hirohito.

7. Franz Joseph, Austria – Reigned for 67 years

Franz was the Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 2 December 1848 until his death.

He served as the president of the German Confederation from 1 May 1850 to 24 August 1866. Joseph was not only the longest-reigning ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire but also the longest-reigning emperor and sixth-longest-reigning monarch of any country in history.

During his reign, Franz Joseph was troubled by nationalism. He resolved the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867. This granted greater autonomy to Hungary and transformed the Austrian Empire into the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary.

He had a peaceful reign for about 45 years, in between he suffered losses like the execution of his brother Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico in 1867; the suicide of his son Crown Prince Rudolf in 1889; the assassination of his wife Empress Elisabeth in 1898; and the assassination of his nephew and heir-presumptive, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, in 1914.

8. Basil II – Reigned for 65 Years

Basil II, was born between 957 AD and 958 AD. He was crowned regent emperor of the Byzantine Empire in 960. He and his brother, Constantine VIII, took control in 976 when he was around 18.

As emperor, Basil II used war to expand the Byzantine Empire and kept its reserves full. His reign has been subject to debate since historians believe his brother ruled the longest.

Historian Robert Bartlett wrote in Blood Royal: Dynastic Politics in Medieval Europe, “Romanos II had his young son Basil crowned on 22 April 960, which was Easter day. Since Basil died on 15 December 1025, he had, from one point of view, a reign of more than 65 years. Modern historians, however, date his reign from 976 to 1025, starting it from the time that his co-emperor and guardian, and the real ruler, John Tzimiskes, died.”

Basil II was regarded as an administrator, he reduced the power of the great land-owning families who dominated the Empire’s administration and military. Further, he filled its treasury, leaving it with its greatest expanse in four centuries.

9. James I – Reigned for 62 Years

H.M. King James I, in His State Clothes. Photo sourced from

James I, king of Aragon, was also known as James the Conqueror. In 1213, he added the Balearic Islands and Valencia to his kingdom during his time on the throne.

Additionally, he enacted an important maritime law and supported arts and education. It has been recorded that the University of Montpellier owed much of its development to his support.

If you ever wondered how the King James Bible translation came about, well, he sponsored the translation of the Bible into English later named after him; the Authorized King James Version.

King James I was strongly committed to a peace policy and tried to avoid involvement in religious wars, especially the Thirty Years’ War that devastated much of Central Europe.

10. Edward III King of England

Portrait of Edward III. Photo by Cassell and Co. –

Edward III was crowned king at the age of fourteen after his father was overthrown by his mother, Isabella of France, and her lover Roger Mortimer.

When turned 17, he led a successful coup d’état against Mortimer, the de facto ruler of the country, and began his reign.

He had a successful campaign in Scotland when declared himself rightful heir to the French throne in 1337. This was the beginning of the ‘Hundred Years’ War.

King Edward was a short-tempered man but was unusually forgiving. He was regarded as a conventional king whose main interest was warfare.